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Fall

NLI Sponsors a Creative Studio Experience

NLI Sponsors a Creative Studio Experience

Celebrate Earth Day 2025

Celebrate Earth Day 2025

Nilda Cosco Honored with Multiple Awards

Nilda Cosco Honored with Multiple Awards

Eating and Learning with Apples – NLI Short

Eating and Learning with Apples – NLI Short

Infants & Toddlers Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (partial)

Infants & Toddlers Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (partial)

Infants & Toddlers Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (partial)

Protected: Infants & Toddlers Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (partial)

NC Crunch

NC Crunch

NC Crunch

Supporting Naturalized Outdoor Play and Learning Environments in North Carolina Child Care Facilities

The Nature PlayScape at Cincinnati Nature Center

The Nature PlayScape at Cincinnati Nature Center

Conestee Nature Preserve: Nature Playscape

Conestee Nature Preserve: Nature Playscape

Just for Kids Child Care Center

Just for Kids Child Care Center

Preschool Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (2nd Ed.)

Preschool Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (2nd Ed.)

Nilda Cosco Honored with Multiple Awards

Nilda Cosco Honored with Multiple Awards

Certificate Course Participant Survey Results 2022

Certificate Course Participant Survey Results 2022

Moore Montessori Community School (MMCS) teacher workshop

Moore Montessori Community School (MMCS) teacher workshop

Connie Redding Head Start

Connie Redding Head Start

13. Gross Motor Logs

13. Gross Motor Logs

15. Sand Play Settings

15. Sand Play Settings

16. Multi-Purpose Lawns

16. Multi-Purpose Lawns

23. Straw Bale Planters

23. Straw Bale Planters

24. Early Childhood Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

24. Early Childhood Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

27. Attracting Birds to Outdoor Learning Environments

27. Attracting Birds to Outdoor Learning Environments

28. Plants for Outdoor Learning Environments

28. Plants for Outdoor Learning Environments

31. Fire Ant Prevention and Treatment

31. Fire Ant Prevention and Treatment

42. Loose Parts Settings

42. Loose Parts Settings

(Wake Co.) Little Believers Academy II

(Wake Co.) Little Believers Academy II

Sorting Our Seasons

Sorting Our Seasons

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Pebble Play

Pebble Play

Fence Weaving

Fence Weaving

Extending Seasons

Extending Seasons

NLH February

NLH February

NLH September

NLH September

NLH October

NLH October

NLH November

NLH November

Holly Springs Academy

Holly Springs Academy

Edible Plants for Play and Learning

Edible Plants for Play and Learning

Matthew Babb

Matthew Babb

James Barnes

James Barnes

Matthew Maharaj

Matthew Maharaj

« Older Entries

VIEW DISCLAIMER

The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities assume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.

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CONTACT

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Campus Box 7701
Raleigh, NC 27695-7701


919-515-8345 voice
919-515-7330 fax
naturalearning@ncsu.edu

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WAYFINDING

NLI Wayfinding
© 2025 NC State University. All rights reserved.
children smelling herbs in garden with teacher

Growing Up with Nature

Creating environments for healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come.

- NLI Mission

For 25 years, the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) has applied community-based, equity-driven design thinking to create healthy, natural play and learning environments. The NLI Resource Hub offers a collection of free public resources dedicated to supporting the development of biophilic play and learning environments where children can grow up caring for the planet and each other. These resources encompass landscape design, research, professional development, and information dissemination.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Categories?

Design Sites

Real-world places where NLI has provided professional landscape architecture design assistance.

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Infosheets

Two to four page documents about implementing and maintaining nature-based play settings.

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Interactive Apps

Web-based teaching tools and virtual experiences about exploring and designing nature-based play settings.

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Leaflets

Single-page documents about activities for children and caregivers in nature-based play settings.

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Natural Learning at Home

A month-by-month newsletter series about nature-based activities for children and families at home.

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Programs

Comprehensive projects that combine design assistance, research & evaluation, professional development, and dissemination & communications.

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Publications

Printed and published books and resources about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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Research

Published scientific research about nature-based design, childhood, behavior mapping, and more.

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The Green Desk

A blog series responding to NLI’s most frequently-asked-questions.

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Videos

Videos created by NLI and our partners about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Tags?

Affordable Settings

Elements of outdoor learning environments that can be built and deployed at a low cost, but with a great impact.

Community Engagement

Families, partners, neighborhoods and cities that help outdoor learning environments thrive and grow.

Fundraising

Information for raising resources to build and maintain outdoor learning environments.

Gardening

Resources about growing plants and all the different ways it benefits young children.

Healthy Eating

Fruits and vegetables, trying and tasting, growing and eating. Learn how young children can be excited to eat nutritious food.

Outdoor Installation

Building and constructing outdoor learning environments can be challenging. Find resources to guide your project.

Outdoor Management

Maintaining and sustaining outdoor learning environments is vital to their long-term success. Learn about managing environments.

Outdoor Safety

Risk management in play areas is critical for certification and regulation. Learn how to create safe spaces and address concerns.

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The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities as­sume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without lim­itation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.

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